Boeing’s Orbital Express spacecraft has conducted a “fully autonomous fly-around-and-capture of its NextSat client spacecraft.” In April the company’s Autonomous Space Transport Robotic Operations servicing spacecraft demonstrated the ability to transfer propellant and a battery from one spacecraft to another. This time ASTRO separated from, circled around, and re-mated with the Ball Aerospace NextSat.
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military officers of the three nations…